Human rights in Qatar
overview of human rights in Qatar
Qatar is an authoritarian and de facto absolute monarchy under the House of Thani. Qatari law does not permit the establishment of political bodies or trade unions. Awareness of human rights abuses in Qatar grew internationally after Qatar's controversial selection to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Human Rights Watch reported in 2026 that migrant workers, which make up over 91 percent of the country's population, "continue to face widespread abuse under the country’s restrictive kafala system". Women and girls in Qatar are still subject to extensive legal and social discrimination under a male guardianship system.
Domestic servants, who are often women from poorer African, South, and Southeast Asian countries, have little to no rights and often become victims of human and sex trafficking, including into prostitution. Individual rights and civil liberties in general are also highly restrictive in Qatar, such as the freedom of association, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press. In addition, sodomy laws exist for both males and females, but are mostly used to punish members of the LGBTQ community. Qatar's legal system is a mixture of civil law and Islamic law (Sharia). Flogging and capital punishment are also enforced.
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